Summer Snow
by HerNamewasAlice
Summary: "In the dark of the night, there were two lovers. They were escaping their village, escaping her fate." A Jackunzel story.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hope you guys enjoy! :D**

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**One**

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In the dark of the night, there were two lovers. They were escaping their village, escaping her fate.

Their life in their village was like any other human, humble and simple. The lovers - their name by many, lived to their name. They - Rapunzel and Jack, loved each other more than the great gods of their village, Man in Sun and Woman of Light. The Man in Sun was the ruler of the Warm Ones. The Warm Ones were immortal beings that loved and protected the humans from misfortune and premature death. These beings, the Warm Ones, they possessed healing properties - an ability that could heal the deepest wound. They were loved and revered by the humans. The humans worshiped the Warm Ones and would leave many offerings if the Warm Ones should come to their village, their land, their world.

Like light and dark; day and night, there were other gods, however the other gods were the ones that every human feared. They other gods, they were called the Cold Ones. The Cold Ones were the opposite of the Warm Ones, they were immortal beings, bringers of death. The Cold Ones sneak into the night, sometimes the day, and take away humans and lead them to their deaths. They were heartless, cruel, inhumane. Creatures of evil, with the only purpose of bringing amusement for their self interest. The humans feared them and each night, before they sleep, they would cut a lock of their hair and leave it by the windowsill. Leaving a lock of hair symbolized as both an offering to the Cold Ones and also, a request to be taken another night, another time.

Rapunzel, his lover, had been leaving locks of her hair for many nights. She was ill, terribly ill. Her eyes, once lively and full, were now buried by the creases and hallowness of her bones. She was a wild spirit, always moving, always laughing but after many days, she could barely walk. None of the remedies or herbs healed her and she was fatal for death. Her hair, her hair once long and thick, dark and chocolate brown, was now short and lost it's sheen from so many cuttings. He was desperate to keep her alive that he cut some of his brown hair so she wouldn't have to cut anymore. She was sick and Jack knew she would not live that long but he did everything he could to extend the time left he had with her.

This was why they ran away.

But with a greater reason.

Several days ago, Jack intended to find the Warm Ones so she can be healed but the Warm Ones came to the village for a different reason. Along with the Cold Ones. They, the Man in Moon an the Man in Sun, announced to the people that they would pick two humans to be a part of them. To the outsiders, this was perceived as a blessing, but to the people of the village, it was a curse. Despite the fact that they feared death, they understood that there would be no meaning to life if you were immortal. He knew this. He knew very well.

So they left their village.

He had overheard the Man in Moon, overheard about his plan to take Rapunzel. But, it was not a taking to her death, it was a taking to make her a part of them, a part of the Cold Ones. Jack wasn't going to let that happen. He wasn't going to taken away from her. He wasn't going to let her become a dark and heartless being.

Thus, in the dark of the night, there were two lovers. They were escaping their village, escaping her fate. They taken a few things, a few things that they could carry; spare clothes, morsels of food, traveler's bread, and a container of water. They didn't know where they were going but they kept on going forward, away from the village. His hand held hers securely, while the other hand had a lantern to lead their unknown path. They knew they could not escape death but he didn't want to lose her. They knew each other since childhood and now, in their teenaged years, they were lovers. Lovers - for only a few months, not even a year. It broke his heart. He thought they would always be together until they were of old age and death would part them. He hadn't expected death to part them so soon.

"We have to cross the frozen river," he informed her. His eyes lowered. She was shaking. She had a fear of drowning ever since she was a child, where she witnessed a cruel mother drown her infant to death. "We have to be slow and careful but don't worry, the river has been frozen solid for some time now."

"What if...what if..." her voice was soft. "What if the ice breaks?"

"It won't happen but if it should, I will save you," he squeezed her hand and gave her a smile.

Rapunzel nodded and smiled.

Carefully, they step foot on the ice. They were slow for they didn't have ice skates. She held on to him tightly, her eyes almost closed tight from fear. "It's okay," he whispered to her. He smiled at her, touching her cheek. "Everything is going to be okay."

"I know," she breathed, forcing a smile. Her heart. It was beating. Beating rapidly like the sounds of drums used for ceremonies to honor the Man in Sun. She wasn't afraid of falling on the ice. She was afraid of falling in and drowning in the river. "I trust you-

The ice underneath the soles of their feet - it was starting to crack.

It was breaking.

Her skin tightened and she felt this strange pain - burning - and suffocating her. The pain - it kept growing. It kept spreading. She was heaving now but her breath - it was running away - fading - leaving her to die. "Ja-ck," she managed to say. She looked at her arms - there were blue markings on her. The markings, they were glowing, the markings...they were inscriptions of symbols, symbols of...death. And the ground...the ice before them, it was breaking even more - glowing. The Man in Moon was going to take her away. "Jack - he's going-going t-to take me-

He shook his head. He didn't want it to be true. He wanted her with him. "You're not going anywhere" his eyes were burning. The water, it was slowly taking her. The Man in Moon...it had led them to her taking. "I'm not going to let you go-

"Jack, I-I love y-ou," her eyes were welled with tears.

He pushed her away and let himself be taken instead.

She tried to pull him out but the Man in Moon wouldn't let her. The water stopped glowing and the ice was solid again. She watched helplessly as he fell deeper into the water. The markings - the markings that were once on her skin were gone and they were now on him. Rapunzel, with white knuckled fists, pounded the thick layer of ice to break it open but it didn't work. Her hands, were bloodied from the ice but she kept going, screaming and begging for him to be spared. Even when he was too deep for her naked eyes to see, she kept going.

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Something...something was pulling him. Upwards - breathing life into him. His eyes opened slowly - he was floating in the air and slowly he was placed on to the ice. Ice- Rapunzel - where was she? "Rapunzel!" he screamed. He looked around but was caught by his own reflection on the frozen river. His hair - his hair had became white as snow - his eyes were no longer brown but blue.

"She's not here," a voice said.

He looked up and found a man in front of him. It wasn't really a man. No. Not at all. It wasn't a human but it was a being, a dark shadow of a man with a thin white slit for his mouth and glowing white eyes. "Man in Moon," he blinked.

Man in Moon nodded.

His eyes narrowed. "What have you done to her?" he screamed.

"You didn't want her to be taken so I spared her."

"And...you took me," he frowned. He stared at his hands - his pale hands - he was now a Cold One. He closed his eyes from the sadness but then he realized, that she was saved. "Thank you for keeping her alive."

Man in Moon shook his head. "I could not keep her alive. Man in Sun wanted you to be a Warm One but since I took you instead, he took her as replacement."

"Will I...get to see her again?"

"I'll answer that in time," he said. The Man in Moon was indifferent. Emotionless. He waved his hand and made a piece of a tree break. The piece slowly woven into a staff. He lifted the staff into the air and brought it to Jack.

"What is this?" he asked, taking the staff.

"This is your power," he informed Jack. "Every Cold One has a staff. The staff gives you power of ice and it is also your life. You must have this with you at all times in the human world. Your body needs to be in cold temperature but you can travel to other parts of the human world where it is not cold as long as you have your staff. If the staff is broken while you are in the human world, you will die."

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**_To be Continued..._**

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**A/N: I hope you guys like it!  
**

**Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Enjoy :D  
**

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**Two**

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**Rapunzel**

A whisper. A soft whisper.

It was waking her. Calling her. Summoning.

Her eyes fluttered open out of response - as if almost natural - as if it was her nature to. She exhaled softly, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the blinding light. Warm. The place she was...it was warm - she wasn't in the snow...where...was she? And he - Jack - he wasn't here. Her heart skipped a beat and her chest started to constrict. "Where am I?" she called out for someone or something to answer her.

"You're in the Haven," a voice said. The voice, it was was soft. Poise.

She turned her head and found a towering figure, a figure of slender woman. The woman was beautiful - her eyes were liquid topaz, her skin was glowing yellow - yellow, and her hair was long and golden. Her hair was curly, piled high to her head and trailing down to her back. She was draped in the finest clothing and her lips were painted berry pink. She was older than Rapunzel, maybe twenty years older. The woman was old enough to be her late mother. "H-Haven?" she raised her eyebrow. "I-I-I am-am...in the Haven of the Warm Ones," Rapunzel realized. The Haven of the Warm Ones was a place where the Warm Ones lived.

The woman chuckled and nodded. "Yes, dear one."

"And-and you are...the Man in Sun's Wife."

"Very so."

A smile appeared on Rapunzel's face. "You're even more beautiful than the paintings and tapestries!" she said, unable to suppress her enthusiasm. The Man in Sun's wife was the most beloved god next to her husband. Many years ago, before Rapunzel was born or even her grandmother, the Man in Sun's Wife was once human. She lived in the village and was a weaver until Man in Moon took her as his slave. Her mother went to Man in Sun and begged for him to return her daughter home. Man in Sun was a kind soul and did so but when he laid eyes on her, they fell in love and by the next night, they married. The Man in Sun's wife, she had a name before she married him but it was such a long time ago that many had forgotten about it, even herself. That was the very reason why they addressed her as Man in Sun's Wife. The Man in Sun's Wife was a lovely thing. She was known for her weaving and beauty and adored for her kindness and hospitality. Rapunzel blushed immediately, realizing her sudden outburst. She put her head down and went on her knees. "I'm-I'm sorry- please fo-rgive me-

Man in Sun's Wife lifted her from the ground. She brushed the dirt from Rapunzel's dress. "It's alright."

"Forgive me for being so rude but...why am I here?"

"You do not know?" she raised her eyebrow, her face filled with concern over the youth.

She shook her head.

"You are one of us now," Man in Sun's Wife said, placing her hand on Rapunzel's shoulder gently. She was unsure on how the youth will react so she was gentle. "You..are...a Warm One."

Her heart stopped beating and she fell on her knees in shock. She started to shake, holding herself - heaving. "No," she muttered, shaking her head rapidly. "No, it can't be," she breathed. "I'm not-

"You are," Man in Sun's Wife said slowly, her eyes lowering at the child.

Her eyes started to water. "No," Rapunzel whispered to her. "No - it can't be - I'm supposed to be human - I'm supposed to be-

Man in Sun's Wife grasped Rapunzel's hands. "I know it'll be hard for you to adjust to but it's going to be alright. It should be an honor, young one."

"No...no...It's...not. Where's Jack? He's my lover - where is he?"

"Rapunzel-

"Where is he?" she asked again.

The Man in Sun's Wife was silent.

"Where is he? Please," she begged. "Please. I want to see him. I want to go home - please, please spare me-

"This, once I sing the incantation, everything will be alright. Every person that becomes a Warm One is frightened but when I sing the incantation you won't be. When I sing the song, everything you need to know about being a Warm One will be in your mind, locked and sound." Man in Sun's Wife grasped her hands tighter and started to hum. "Flower gleam and glow, let the power shine, make the clock reverse. Bring back what once was mine. Heal what has been hurt. Change the fates design - save what has been lost...bring back what once was mine...what...once was mine." Her voice - Man in Sun's Wife - her voice was unlike anything Rapunzel had ever heard. It was flowing - gentle - soft. Her voice was beautiful.

Rapunzel's eyes lowered and a smile appeared on her face. "That was beautiful."

"Your-your...hair-your hair," she let go of Rapunzel's hands. "It's long now...it's long," she gasped.

She looked down, following the trail of her locks. Her hair was golden now and it was long, piling down her back and to the ground. "Is that...is that supposed to happen?" she swallowed.

"The song, when it is first sang to the new arrival, it has different effects on each new Warm One. Usually their skin becomes glowing yellow but yours did not. The only thing that changed is your hair. The song it is used for healing but only sing it for special occasions and when your life is in danger. We heal people by touch of hands."

"And what does the song do?"

"It depends, depends on your circumstances. Are you alright?"

"Yes," she smiled.

"Do you want to go home?"

"No."

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**Jack**

His heart was beating and he was screaming.

Not out of fear.

Not out of anger.

But out of sheer joy.

He flew through the heavens - soaring - flying. Almost with the birds. It was riveting- exhilarating. The blood was pumping into his body and the cold air - he never felt so happy before. He crowed and screamed to channel out his excitement. Jack brought the staff close to his body and started to freeze the clouds that were below him. "Amazing," he murmured with interest.

The Man in Moon chuckled. "Every new arrival always act like this."

"Really?" he grinned, flying next to the Man in Moon. To his surprise the Man in Moon was a kind man. A father figure. "I can see why it's great! I never felt so...alive," all the light from his face vanished. Rapunzel. He closed his eyes and breathed, unaware that his body was slowly levitating down from the skies and to the earth.

"You miss her don't you?" the Man in Moon asked.

His eyes flickered opened. "Yes," he sighed.

The Man in Moon placed his hand on his shoulder. "Come here, let me show you something."

"Where are we going?" he asked, looking up at his leader.

"We are going to the outskirts of the Catalyst." The Catalyst was a place where the Cold Ones lived. The Catalyst was a small piece of land. It was always cold and it was always snowing. Everything was made out of ice and snow. "It used to be part of the Catalyst and the area we inhabit but it has too many sad memories."

"Sad memories?" he floated five feet from the earth and flew on his back - as if he was swimming.

"Yes," Man in Moon sighed.

Jack tilted his head and found a wall. He flew down - careful of the broken shards of colored glass - and stared at the wall. It was a mural - but it was covered by snow and ice. Jack clutched on to his staff and pressed it into the bed of snow, making the ice and snow melt away from the mural. "Woah," he breathed. It was a mural - a mural of long ago. The painting - it was of Cold Ones and of Warm Ones - together. They were smiling and they laughing. They were...happy. Jack had never seen this before. In tapestries and in scrolls, anytime the immortal beings were together was because of dispute and battle. War. Death.

"Long ago, there were no Cold Ones or Warm Ones. There used to be only the Guardians. But...it's not like that anymore."

Jack frowned. "What...what happened? What happened between the Guardians?"

"Many things -so much that I don't know where to begin. We eventually separated. Your...your lover...

"I cannot see her...can I?" his eyes lowered.

"No, it's not what you think. You're not forbidden to see her but...her condition - her condition now...you won't want to be with her."

"Her condition?"

The Man in Moon sighed. He looked so sad. "The Warm Ones...they're not what they seem to be. Their roles...they do heal humans but it comes with a price. It comes with a horrible price on themselves. When they heal and steal the pain - they receive it - the pain - the memories. It's the most painful thing you can ever feel. And she will suffer from it like the others. Many of the Warm Ones do not want to be a Warm One so the Man in Sun and his wife will sing them an incantation to make them forget everything. They feed the Warm Ones things and stripped them from their attachments - their own memories. The Warm Ones...they may appear happy but it's due to the incantation, the curse. In reality, they're mindless. There's nothing in them, only but pain. She won't be herself. She won't remember you."

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_**To be Continued...**_

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**A/N: Please review  
**


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